BIO3092

Ecology and evolution of the Australian flora

Dr Jenny Read

6 points
* First semester
* Clayton
* Two 1-hour lectures, equivalent of 3 hours laboratory + field work per week
* Prerequisites: BIO2011, BIO2022, BOT2031, BOT2042
* Prohibition: BOT3022

Objectives At the end of this course students should know the major characteristics of the main Australian vegetation types. They should understand the basic ecological and historical processes influencing the characteristics of the vegetation types and their component species, and appreciate the complexity of interactions occurring within the plant environment. They should be familiar with the types of methods available to quantify vegetation parameters.

Synopsis This course focuses on the factors influencing the distribution, composition and structure of Australian plant communities, and the characteristics of the component plant species. The role of both contemporary environmental and historical factors (over geological and ecological time scales) will be discussed. Methods of quantifying community parameters will be discussed in both lectures and field courses. There is a single day excursion to the Central Highlands and a six-day excursion to Wyperfeld National Park. The field projects provide practical experience of the methods and ecological principles covered in the lecture course.

Assessment Examination (2.5 hours): 60%
* Practical work and field work: 40%

Recommended texts

Groves R H Australian vegetation 2nd edn, CUP, 1994